Dynamite



UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICEQ ROBERT IV. \VARREN, OF HOUGHTON, MICHIGAN.

DYNAMITE.

:GJFEOIFICATIOBT forming part of Letters Patent No. 323,088, dated July 28, 1885.

Application filed February 24, 1885. (No specimens.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ROBERT IV. \VARREN, of Houghton, in the county of Houghton and State of Michigan, have made certain new and useful improvements in explosive compounds and the manufacture thereof not heretofore known or used; and I do hereby declare the following specification to be a full and clear description of the same.

In the use of high explosives in confined places-such as deep shafts, close drifts, and tunnelsgreat inconvenience is experienced from the noxious fumes and other results after explosion of a compound containing a large f gmercentage of nitro-gl-ycerine and-an-absorbent.

High-grade blasting compounds have been made by the absorption of nitro-glycerine in non-explosive substances by which comparative safety has been obtained at a sacrifice of strength and the distribution of undecomposed mineral substances in the atmosphere, and a mixture of oxidizing salts with wood fiber has been used as an absorbent of nitro-glycerine by which the loss of strength is partly obviated; but the necessary excess of wood fiber required in such compounds to absorb and retain ahigh percentage of the nitro-glycerinc produces very deleterious gases when ex-- ploded. Thus I have found in practice that in the use of infusorial earth and other similar non-explosive substances as absorbents of nitro-glycerine to make explosive'com'pounds such absorbent-s are not decomposed on explosion, but are distributed in atoms through the atmosphere, causingserious injury to the lungs of those who breathe the air thus charged. In order to overcome this difliculty, and also to increase the explosive force, gunpowder has been used as an absorbent of nitro-glycerine, and nitro-glyccrine has also been mixed with the component parts of gun'powdersuch as nitrate of soda, charcoal, and sulphur-and also with wood fiber and nitrate of soda as the absorbent; but the carbonaceous substances heretofore known and used for this purpose are not as good absorbents of the nitro-glycerinc as the int'usorial earth or non-explosive ones, and in consequence there is an excess of carbon in compounds where wood fiber and tubular cavities, and I have discovered that when properly prepared its absorbent qualities are equal to those of infusoria-l earth, while its'chemical composition being different, it is entirely and readily decomposed on explosion without the resulting deleterious gases which are given off when other carbonaceous absorbcuts are used, or theresiduum of undecomposed' particles which occur when infusorial earth is used as an absorbent. The peat is first thoroughly dried and then ground to a fine powder. \Vith this substance I mix the ordinary oxidizing salts--sueh as nitrate .of soda-in the desired proportions, and then add the required percentage of nitro-glycerine. To this may be added a small percentage of the alkali, ca-lcic hydrate.

The following mixture produces a very effective explosive compound: Ground peat, twelve per cent.; nitrate of soda, thirty-six per cent. nitro-glycerine,fiftyvpercent. calcic hydrate, two per cent. These proportions may be varied, and many other oxidizing salts and alkalis having the properties of those I mention may be used in this compound; and a good result may be obtained without the use of calcic hydrate, as the very large percentage of nitro-glycerine which peat is capable of ab;

sorbing without leaking renders only a small percentage of it necessary in the compound, while a corresponding large percentage of the oxidizing agent can be used, thus furnishing sufficient oxygen to combine with the carbon contained in the absorbent when explosion takes place. The calcic hydrate prevents acid reaction in the compound, but it may be omitted without materially affecting the results 0btained on the explosion when peat is used as the absorbent. The gases produced by the explosion of my compound are less injurious to health than those produced by any other high explosives which contain a large percentage of nitro-glycerine, and in which a large percentage of wood fiber or other absorbent containing carbon is used, while the sacrifice of strength consequent upon the use of an inert substance is avoided.

In this compound each ingredient adds to its explosive force.

The use of calcic hydrate in explosive compounds composed of nitro-glycerine and carbonaceous absorbents produces an improved explosive compound whether or not the preby me is used, as the nitrate of soda, and the V6g6. I

2. An explosive compound composed of ni- 25 trolvcerine, nitrate of soda, together V7111? Zi'biin feat and calcic Hydrate, in the proportions sii stantially a s Hes cribed.

' It. XV. WARREN.

\Vitnesses: Y

A. BELL MALcoMsoN, J r., J NO. CHAS. YATES. 

